Image: By Rosie Anderson, 2022
This year’s Rabbit Awareness Week is Monday 27th June 2022 to Friday 1st July 2022. This year is all about where our rabbits live. Rabbits are the third most popular UK household pet and can live for 7- 10 years, depending on their breed, so they are a big commitment.
Rabbits are social creatures and require company and stimulation. The company can be in the form of another rabbit or from humans. The best bonded pairing for rabbits is a neutered male and a neutered female. It is possible for two of the same sex to live together, however, you may experience the occasional spat! If you are choosing to have a same sex pair then you will need to introduce them to each other from a young age and ideally they should be from the same litter, then they can grow old gracefully together.
Housing
Keeping rabbits solely in hutches can lead to a variety of health problems, ranging from boredom and stress to sore hocks. Rabbits require space where they can display their natural behaviours and be active.
The total area available to them should be a minimum of 10 x 6 x 3 ft (3 x 2 x 1 m), made up of a hutch at least 6ft x 2ft (2m x 1m) and an attached run or enclosure. Always bear in mind that rabbits should be able to sit up on their back legs without their ears touching the roof and be able to hop at least three times in any direction.
Rabbits whose exercise run is on a lawn will enjoy access to grass every day, which is great for their teeth and digestive systems and will keep them busy. But be aware that unless you take appropriate precautions, they are likely to dig their way out, which could put them at risks from predators.
Image: By Rosie Anderson, 2022
If you have your run outside make sure you move it regularly, have wire mesh around, or even paving slabs to make it more difficult for your rabbits to tunnel out.
In outdoor runs, it is important that your rabbit has a hide box that they can dart in to if they feel threatened - these range from cardboard boxes to large plastic drain pipes, and so much more!
Rabbits should have a hay rack to give them access to hay that is not wet from the ground, a bowl with dry food (two egg cups per day), and access to water. Most rabbits prefer drinking from a bowl, but they can get knocked over, so make sure you have a water bottle as well.
Finally, don’t forget to protect part of their run from extreme weather such as snow, rain and from the hot sun.
Image: By Rosie Anderson, 2022
As your rabbit gets older you may need to change their housing area as they can become arthritic, and they will be reluctant to run or jump up ramps. If their home is on two levels, you may want to think about reducing to one level. This is the same if they are indoor rabbits and they use the stairs or jump on sofas.
Throughout July we will be offering FREE health checks for your rabbits. We do recommend vaccinating, neutering and fly strike prevention. Please see our article Rabbit Awareness Week 2021 for more information on these topics. We also have an article specific to fly strike.
If you want to learn more about rabbit housing visit www.runaround.co.uk
As always, if this article has raised any questions or concerns, contact us on 01665 252 250 or email us at info@coquetvets.co.uk
